Improvement in steam-engine piston-packing



i Huit Wr-WSW THOMAS-R. MORGAN, OF PI'ITSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

" lLaim Pazmt-Nofsnse, daad Merch 16,1869.

IMPROVMENT IN STEAM-ENGINE 1ISTGIN-PACKING-` 'l'he Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom 'it ma/y concern:

Beit known that I, THOMAS R. MoRGAN, of Iittsburg, in thecounty of Allegheny, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pistons for Steam-Engines, Sac.; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which forma part of this specication.

My intention relates to the construction and use of devices whereby ordinary steam-engine pistons packing-rings can be expanded, and kept steam-tight, without taking o' the follower or disturbing joints of the cylinder.

To enable others skilled in the art to make anduse tEly device, I will describe its construction and opera- In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is a plan of my devices, as attachedto an lordinary steam-engine piston.

qFigure 2, a section of the same.- v

Like letters of reference, on the different figures, denote corresponding parts.

Resting on thel base, and encircling the spider L of an ordinary piston, A, I place an annular ring, B, having six or more inclines, B, projecting from its periphery. Y

In and on the inner circumference are teeth B2, projecting toward the centre of the piston A, the teeth B'z being of an epicycloidal or other suitable form.

Six or more ordinary elliptic'springs, A', bear against `the inclines B'.

The extremities of the springs Al bear against an ordinary packing-ring, A2, to which one end, A3, of the springs A is attached in any suitable manner, the other extremity being free to slide on the innercir'- cumference of the ring A.

Ordinary packing-rings, B3 and B, encircle the before-named ring A2, resting, one above another, on the base of before-mentioned piston A.

In any suitable position, inside the annular ring B,

is a vertical shaft, O, attached to -which is a geared pinion, O, so arranged that its teeth will mesh in the teeth B2 of the ring B.

The lowerv end of the shaft O is in and rotates in a suitable hole in the base of the piston A. Its upper extremity is square, below whichl is attached an ordinary ratchet-Wbeel, G2, which rests .upon the outside of the ordinary follower D, to which is attached, in a suitable manner, an ordinary pawl, D', so arranged that its point will meet the ratchet-wheel C2. The follower D is attached .to the piston A in the ordinary manner, the square end of the shaft O projecting therefrom.

The mode of operating with my ,devicesis as follows, viz:

The pinion G, being rotated by means of a wrench,

or such like device,- attacl'xed to the square end of the shaft O, rotates, by means of the teethBi, the annular ring B. The inclines B, meeting the springs Al, by reason of theirshape, force the same outwardly against the-ring A2, and also the packing-rings, Bf and B4, the

Apawl D being so arranged that its point catches the ratchet-wheel O2, and prevents the pinion Gfrom being forced back, thusexpanding the packing-rings, Bs and B, from the centre of the piston A.

By making a suitable hole or slot in the cylinderhead of the steam-engine,'so as to admit of the passage of an ordinary. socket-wrench, the packingv can be adjusted, without breaking the joint or removing the cylinder-head. A plug screwed into the hole, pre' vents the escape of steam when the engine is running. As heretofore steam-engine piston-packing has been expanded and adjusted, the springs which bear against the packing-rings are set out from the hub of the piston by means of set-screws and nuts, and the follower has to be removed, so as to manipulate the screws and nuts,

not only taking time, but also requiring considerable skilled labor to perform the same.

Piston-packing has been also heretofore expanded from the exterior of lthe piston; but the devices used are costly, complicated, and thereby liable to get out of order, and also cannot be attached to an ordinary existing steam-piston.

The advantages ari `'ng from the use of my devices are, that the piston-packing can be expanded and adjusted from the exterior, both of the piston and cylinder; and, as the devices used are simple, and not costly, skilled labor is not required to manipulate the same; and, as my devices can be readily attached to any ordinary existing piston, either steam or hydraulic, great change of parts not being required, much time, trouble, and unnecessary expense are saved thereby.

I am aware that piston-packing has been set out by a ring having inclined projections, which act upon rods pressing against the springs, and therefore do not broadly claim such device; neither do I claim the operation of the same by means of gearing; but having thus fully described my invention,

What I claim therein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

' The annulanl ring B, surrounding an ordinary pistonhead, or'spider, outside the follower-bolts and their bearings, and provided with inclined projections B,

acting directly upon the springs, which press out the packing, the whole constructed and arranged substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

THOS. R. MORGAN. Witnesses:

PERGEVAL BEcKn'r'r, J oHN P. CLARK. 

